The exploration of endophytic fungi and their potential for controlling Phytophthora palmivora causes black-pod disease of cocoa

Abstract

Liswarni Y, Nurbailis, Busniah M. 2018. The exploration of endophytic fungi and their potential for controlling Phytophthora palmivora causes black-pod disease of cocoa. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 4: 231-235. Utilization of endophytic fungi in the control of black-pod disease needs to be done because it has enormous potential. Exploration of endophytic fungi is essential for finding potential fungi to control Phytophthora palmivora. The aim of the study was to obtain endophytic fungus species that could potentially be used as biocontrol agents to control black-pod disease in cocoa caused by P. palmivora. The exploration was done by isolating the endophytic fungi from the cocoa fruit then propagated and the antagonistic test was performed on Phytophthora fungi. The objective of the study was to obtain an endophytic fungus species that could potentially be used as biocontrol agents to control black-pod disease in cocoa caused by P. palmivora. The exploration was done by isolating the endophytic fungus from the cocoa fruit and then reproduced and the antagonistic test was performed on P. palmivora fungus. The results of the antagonistic test of 47 isolates of endophytic fungi using a double culture method showed that there were only 8 isolates capable of inhibiting the development of P. palmivora pathogenic fungi with inhibitory of more than 30%, seven isolates of endophytic fungi had 15-30% inhibition and 32 isolates has a resistor of less than 15%. Isolates B124 and B132 have the highest inhibitory power (57.00 and 58.62%) compared with other isolates. The results of antagonistic test of 8 isolates of endophytic fungi using two steam methods (B144 and B143) were able to inhibit the growth of P. palmivora pathogenic fungal colonies with inhibitory capacity of 43.33-43.52%.